Figure Skating

[iMonrey]

I'll be damned, Amber finally skated a clean long program. That aside, Cup of China was pretty much a splatfest.

Quote

So I started following this skating channel because he has a really great breakdown of jump technique.

https://www.youtube.com/@SkateInsider

This is one of those channels where the voice-over narration seems to be AI generated. The wrong words are accentuated. I find it weird and off-putting. 

Edited November 25 by iMonrey

[Avaleigh]

I am so excited for Amber! This is really shaping up to be a breakthrough season for her. The triple axel is on point. I feel like I don't have to hold my breath on it any more. I still hold my breath during the back half of the program, but she's definitely improved this season. I really hope she delivers at the GPF. It'll give her the confidence she needs to defend her national title in January.

In other news, did anyone else check out sectionals via Peacock or YouTube? Sherry Zhang was great. Also, my girl Ting is back! The midwesterns were a little underwhelming to be, but there were a couple of bright spots in the senior ranks.

Starr was pretty shaky. IIRC though it seems that she's finally working on putting the lutz in the program?

[Is Everyone Gone]

7 hours ago, iMonrey said:

This is one of those channels where the voice-over narration seems to be AI generated. The wrong words are accentuated. I find it weird and off-putting. 

They analyze the lutz technique of skaters.

Good technique: Nathan Chen, Ilia Malinin, Liza Tuktamysheva, Aliona Kostornaia, Karen Chen

Bad lutz technique: Jason Brown, Kaori Satomoto, Alysa Liu, Anna Scherbakova

Brown and Kaori "flutz" by shifting to an inside edge at the last minute.

Edited November 25 by Is Everyone Gone

[Maelstrom]

On 11/2/2024 at 4:38 PM, Maelstrom said:

Just caught up on two whole hours of Skate Canada Cup of China we were so generously given (thanks NBC 🙄) and why for the love of all that's holy did Tara have to yammer nonstop during Kaori's entire FS everything? 🤬 Can someone at NBC please muzzle her? Enough already! STFU Tara!

Bad form to quote myself, I know, but I stand by this statement.

Also, looks like Adam withdrew from GPF because of his ankle injury 😢 https://olympics.com/en/news/grand-prix-final-2024-figure-skating-adam-siao-him-fa-withdraws-injury

Edited December 1 by Maelstrom

[annzeepark914]

1 hour ago, Maelstrom said:

Bad form to quote myself, I know, but I stand by this statement.

Also, looks like Adam withdrew from GPF because of his ankle injury 😢 https://olympics.com/en/news/grand-prix-final-2024-figure-skating-adam-siao-him-fa-withdraws-injury

Having to withdraw after qualifying for the GPF has got to mentally hurt. Poor guy.

Has anyone emailed NBC Sports re: Tara's constant yammering during skaters' programs? I sent one after Skate America. So they now lower the music so we can hear all the commentators' excess chat? Music is an important part of figure skating. It needs to clearly be heard. 

 

[KittenPokerCheater]

I hate to say it, but I think NBC (or whichever sport) has told Tara to be the fluffy and Johnny to be more of the technical specialist.  And Tara has taken the direction WAY too far.

[Avaleigh]

On 11/30/2024 at 6:06 PM, annzeepark914 said:

So they now lower the music so we can hear all the commentators' excess chat? Music is an important part of figure skating. It needs to clearly be heard. 

I've mostly been watching the Peacock coverage for reasons like this. I'll watch their commentary during nationals, but that's probably it. Maybe worlds too depending on who medals because I'm curious to see Johnny and Tara's reactions. But Peacock is my first choice these days because at least I get to see all of the skaters this way. 

[honeywest]

Stellato-Dudek and Deschamps have withdrawn from the GPF; he’s recovering from an illness.

[annzeepark914]

Papadakis & Cizeron are retiring.

Edited December 5 by annzeepark914

[honeywest]

I hope she keeps working with Madison Hubbell.

[KittenPokerCheater]

If I can't watch the skating today at 3pm on peacock, how soon do they show a replay of it?

[annzeepark914]

For a while I couldn't get any info re: GPF results in ice dance so I went to Golden Skates. The mood was dark so I knew neither of their teams was in first place. No congrats to C/B. There are a couple of folks at GS whose posts I enjoy, but geez laweeze. It seems to be a mostly ABUS crowd.  

Edited December 6 by annzeepark914

[Salacious Kitty]

Nobody likes C/B on FSU, either. 

[annzeepark914]

50 minutes ago, Salacious Kitty said:

Nobody likes C/B on FSU, either. 

Really? I never picked up much negativity toward them on FSU. Maybe I've missed the posts. The judges seem to like them. 

[Salacious Kitty]

5 minutes ago, annzeepark914 said:

Really? I never picked up much negativity toward them on FSU. Maybe I've missed the posts. The judges seem to like them. 

There's plenty of negativity in the play by play threads in the pay section. Although this year, there really isn't consensus on a favorite (if anyone, I would say Lajoie/Lagha). It is a weird year in Dance. 

Edited December 7 by Salacious Kitty

[annzeepark914]

14 hours ago, Salacious Kitty said:

There's plenty of negativity in the play by play threads in the pay section. Although this year, there really isn't consensus on a favorite (if anyone, I would say Lajoie/Lagha). It is a weird year in Dance. 

I don't see the pay sections. Hmmm. It's strange. The GS people always put down C/B's skating, but then when I watch the programs, Ben Agosto raves about their skating skills, and especially their lifts. 

Congrats to Amber! A lot of folks would've given up already (given the frustrations she's endured over the years). 

[Salacious Kitty]

Yes Amber! She won Japanese Nationals. 😂

[specialj67]

Having seen the robot program by the Italian team a few times now, I can’t deny it’s growing on me. I like that it’s so different from what the other top teams are doing. The sharp choreography really suits them as a team. Glad they changed the costumes, because the first iteration was Not It.

4 hours ago, Salacious Kitty said:

Yes Amber! She won Japanese Nationals. 😂

Heh! Even tho no one had a perfectly clean program, I really enjoyed the women’s competition today. Great skating skills abound!

[Avaleigh]

Has anyone else been annoyed with the camera work at the GPF this year? There were multiple points in every discipline where the camera people were focused on closeups as opposed to allowing us to see the entire body of the skater/s. It was so frustrating. I felt like I missed out on so many cool things. At one point during the RD, it might have been during Laghoie/Lagha (?) I lowkey ended up yelling at my screen because they just showed closeups of their faces during the first half of their twizzle sequence. (?!) With Kevin Aymoz there were multiple points where they didn't show his legs at all. Like, wtf? 

On 12/6/2024 at 4:52 PM, Salacious Kitty said:

Nobody likes C/B on FSU, either. 

Aww, I didn't realize they weren't popular. I love them. But GS has a lot of asshole posters tbh. FSU seems less toxic. 

Edited December 8 by Avaleigh

[CeeBeeGee]

Amber is having a season! So well done to her! So proud of and happy for her!

[redpencil]

6 hours ago, Avaleigh said:

Has anyone else been annoyed with the camera work at the GPF this year? There were multiple points in every discipline where the camera people were focused on closeups as opposed to allowing us to see the entire body of the skater/s. It was so frustrating. I felt like I missed out on so many cool things. At one point during the RD, it might have been during Laghoie/Lagha (?) I lowkey ended up yelling at my screen because they just showed closeups of their faces during the first half of their twizzle sequence. (?!) With Kevin Aymoz there were multiple points where they didn't show his legs at all. Like, wtf? 

This happens with any competition in France. They are just really into "artsy" camera work. 🙄

Edited December 8 by redpencil

[Is Everyone Gone]

I personally don't really like Chock and Bates. They seem like lovely people and all, but ice dance is supposed to be about skating skills, and C&B just don't really have that strong of skating skills. A lot of their programs are a lot of arm-ography, but their twizzles and lifts and pattern footwork just doesn't have the deep edges and fast flow of past teams. I feel like they're benefiting from the "it's their turn" mentality in ice dance.

In the GPF, I loved when they showed Scary Babs watching the Italian team and Mark said "ooh, she scares me." LOL. I will always love Scary Babs.

Edited December 8 by Is Everyone Gone

[Good Queen Jane]

Ilia doing all six quads plus his raspberry and a backflip was amazing! No wonder he laid on the ice after it was over. The US won GP gold in Senior Women, Men, and Dance and Junior Men. Worlds in Boston should be amazing.

I really liked the French Free Dance. They never slowed down. It reminded me of the Duchesnays (which shows how old I am!)

[Avaleigh]

I thought Ilia's jumps seemed a little off in the long. I'm glad he won, but I wondered if something was going on with him. The men in general didn't have the best outing. 

I'm definitely looking forward to seeing the highlights from various nationals particularly Japanese nationals this year. 

Amber has had a terrific year so far, but I'm still waiting for that clean long program. I feel like the entire skating world will be in (joyful) tears if/when that finally happens. 

[carrier76]

Does anyone feel like the Japanese pair team was overscored here? And kind of often, in general? Especially here. I’m not a big fan of the Georgians but they should have been ahead.

[Salacious Kitty]

I thought the Pairs were generously scored all around. Unlike the other disciplines where the callers caught everything. All of Ilia's quads got at least a q, if not a full >.

[alexa]

3 hours ago, Avaleigh said:

I thought Ilia's jumps seemed a little off in the long. I'm glad he won, but I wondered if something was going on with him. The men in general didn't have the best outing. 

I'm definitely looking forward to seeing the highlights from various nationals particularly Japanese nationals this year. 

Amber has had a terrific year so far, but I'm still waiting for that clean long program. I feel like the entire skating world will be in (joyful) tears if/when that finally happens. 

The quads were off a bit but that happens once in a while as they get into the season.  Nathan had a few off competitions as well.  Ilia added some quads in at the end to make up for the earlier mistakes.  They said he had begun going off the program elements he submitted beforehand.

As for Amber I think the thing that is really great this season is that she isn’t unraveling with minor mistakes and still winning…so much different than her previous imperfect routines,imo.  

 

Edited December 8 by alexa

[annzeepark914]

5 hours ago, Good Queen Jane said:

I really liked the French Free Dance. They never slowed down. It reminded me of the Duchesnays (which shows how old I am!)

I just watched their 1988 FD. IMO, the judges didn't know what to make of this program. It was so far ahead of its time. Then I watched some more of the '88 O's. I used to say, "I miss the compulsories" but, geez...I forgot how boring they were back then.  By the time they dropped them, they were more interesting, the skaters didn't look so rigid.

[Mirabelle]

6 hours ago, alexa said:

The quads were off a bit but that happens once in a while as they get into the season.  Nathan had a few off competitions as well.  Ilia added some quads in at the end to make up for the earlier mistakes.  They said he had begun going off the program elements he submitted beforehand.

As for Amber I think the thing that is really great this season is that she isn’t unraveling with minor mistakes and still winning…so much different than her previous imperfect routines,imo.  

 

I think the true test will be Nationals. I've always heard that the pressure to defend the title can be overwhelming. Then again, Amber didn't win the title with a great free skate so maybe she won't feel the pressure of having to live up to a career best performance.

[honeywest]

I don’t like Guignard and Fabbri, and you can’t make me.

[absnow54]

8 hours ago, Mirabelle said:

I think the true test will be Nationals. I've always heard that the pressure to defend the title can be overwhelming. Then again, Amber didn't win the title with a great free skate so maybe she won't feel the pressure of having to live up to a career best performance.

With her Grand Prix medal isn’t she all but guaranteed a spot at Worlds (ala Isabeau last season?) I would think that would take a lot of pressure off for Nationals during a non-Olympic year. 

[iMonrey]

On 12/7/2024 at 8:37 PM, Avaleigh said:

Has anyone else been annoyed with the camera work at the GPF this year?

What I found distracting is whenever they were skating past one of those advertising screens. The background got all digitized and it threw me off.

Good for Amber pulling off a win but it wasn't a clean long. After she popped the salchow into a double, you could see that she just barely hung on to her landings in the next couple of jumping passes. So, I guess in that respect, she's improved in that she didn't just fall apart completely like she usually does. 

[carrier76]

13 hours ago, honeywest said:

I don’t like Guignard and Fabbri, and you can’t make me.

I used to feel this way, but something clicked in this year, and now I’m rooting for them. It may be her sassy new haircut? I’m not even joking about that. I love their rhythm dance.

I really don’t like C/Pom though, so maybe I’m just weird.

[CeeBeeGee]

The gesture of the top three Japanese skaters, where they saluted Amber by adopting her final pose, was just so gracious. One of the skaters was displaced on the podium by Amber's victory and she still participated with a smile! Just incredibly good sportsmanship. Such a breath of fresh after after the horrible aftermath of Ladies' Singles in Beijing.

[specialj67]

6 hours ago, carrier76 said:

I used to feel this way, but something clicked in this year, and now I’m rooting for them. It may be her sassy new haircut? I’m not even joking about that. I love their rhythm dance.

I really don’t like C/Pom though, so maybe I’m just weird.

It reminds me a bit of what they were doing in their David Bowie free dance from several years ago, but on another level.

I’m having a similar reevaluation of L/B from France this season. I don’t know if they are genuinely skating faster, but their free dance this season really showcases it. I like the direction they went this season.

[Chaser]

Does anybody else randomly remember Kurt Browning and Alissa Czisny are married and go ‘WTF’?

[annzeepark914]

1 hour ago, Chaser said:

Does anybody else randomly remember Kurt Browning and Alissa Czisny are married and go ‘WTF’?

Uh-hunh. 

On 12/9/2024 at 1:55 PM, carrier76 said:

I really don’t like C/Pom though, so maybe I’m just weird.

IMO, it's him. He looks like a football or hockey player out there. 

[Notabug]

10 hours ago, Chaser said:

Does anybody else randomly remember Kurt Browning and Alissa Czisny are married and go ‘WTF’?

Me!  The 20+ year age gap is the thing that does it for me.  They're from different skating eras.  I also remember back when he was married to the ballerina and forget that that ended a while ago.

[KittenPokerCheater]

I think they also have a kid.

[Avaleigh]

1 hour ago, Notabug said:

Me!  The 20+ year age gap is the thing that does it for me.  They're from different skating eras.  I also remember back when he was married to the ballerina and forget that that ended a while ago.

At first glance it seems like a mismatch, but they're both such genuinely sweet and sincere people, so my impression is that this is one of the incredibly rare times an age gap doesn't seem problematic.

[Quof]

19 minutes ago, Avaleigh said:

but they're both such genuinely sweet and sincere people

I'm always curious when people make comments like this about "celebrities".  Unless you know them personally, how do you come to this conclusion?  (no, a quick encounter at a Meet and Greet event does not give you insight into anyone's true personality). 

[Notabug]

8 hours ago, Quof said:

I'm always curious when people make comments like this about "celebrities".  Unless you know them personally, how do you come to this conclusion?  (no, a quick encounter at a Meet and Greet event does not give you insight into anyone's true personality). 

I only know from seeing him at the Olympics in Lillehammer; but Kurt Browning went over and above what any fan could expect from an athlete there.  Browning had already competed and skated really poorly, coming away with no medals.  This was unfortunately the story of his career and these were his last Olympics so he could've been a real jerk but wasn't.

A couple nights later, I attended the Ladies' Short Program (Nancy and Tonya!).  Our seats happened to be right next to the seats reserved for athletes which were cordoned off from the public seats with ropes.  Browning arrived with several other members of the Canadian team.  Naturally, lots of fans were standing at the sides of their section with programs for signing and wanting to pose for pictures.  Browning was the first athlete to get up out of his seat when the ice was being re-surfaced, walked straight to the barrier and began shaking hands, signing autographs and posing for pictures.  He called out to his team mates to join him and asked every person for their name to personalize the autograph.  

At one point, there was a young girl there who had a huge autograph book/album with her.  She was apparently a huge figure skating fan,  He and his team mates signed and he asked her if she'd leave the book with him and he'd get it signed by some of the athletes who weren't coming to the crowd.  He told her she could pick it up next time they re-surfaced.  He then proceeded to have virtually every dam*ed Olympian in the section sign the book, walking up and down the aisles and even calling out to people who got up to leave to sign.  When that little girl came back, her book was full.

Remember this is a guy who had just screwed up the most important competition of his career.  Class act, that one.

[KittenPokerCheater]

I have watched them on The Skating Lesson (don't judge) and they seemed to be genuinely nice people who also happen to know a hell of a lot about skating.

[Avaleigh]

On 12/15/2024 at 7:53 AM, Quof said:

I'm always curious when people make comments like this about "celebrities".  Unless you know them personally, how do you come to this conclusion?  (no, a quick encounter at a Meet and Greet event does not give you insight into anyone's true personality). 

You're correct that I don't know these people. It's not like I've been to their houses or anything. That being said, I don't think that personal interactions and observations are meaningless, and my personal interactions and observations are how I formed my opinion. (Isn't that how most people form opinions?) If you have a positive interaction with someone, regardless if it's a meet and greet or something similar, are you not allowed to come away with a positive, indifferent, or negative opinion based on that lived experience?

I've been lucky enough to meet Kurt both as a child and as an adult, and I found him to be warm, kind, and, in my impression, sincere when exuding that warmth and kindness. Alissa, I have only met once, but have also observed on several occasions and there was nothing that gave me the impression that she wasn't a nice person. She seemed friendly to her fellow competitors, and seemed gracious even after having a bad skate. 

Also, it's not like this isn't a sport that doesn't have its fair number of jackholes. Based on my personal interactions, I found Silvia Fontana to be an unfriendly, rude person who thinks a lot of herself. Straight up. It wasn't at all surprising to me when hard facts came out to support my negative opinion of her. That goes double for Lloyd Eisler. 

Sure, maybe Kurt and Alissa aren't great people. I haven't seen or heard anything to suggest that, but anything is possible. I'd be shocked if this turned out to be the case, but you never know. That being said, I will continue to think well of them unless evidence comes out to change my opinion. 

 

Edited December 16 by Avaleigh

[Avaleigh]

18 hours ago, Notabug said:

Browning had already competed and skated really poorly, coming away with no medals.

I definitely can't rely on my memory here, but didn't he skate a perfect long program? IIRC it was the short program he botched, but it's possible I'm not remembering it correctly. 

Also, IIRC, he hit the most difficult part of his short program (triple axel triple toe) but then fell on the triple flip(?) At the time, I remember being shocked. It was the first Olympics I remember watching, and I remember feeling terrible for him. 

[Notabug]

2 hours ago, Avaleigh said:

I definitely can't rely on my memory here, but didn't he skate a perfect long program? IIRC it was the short program he botched, but it's possible I'm not remembering it correctly. 

Also, IIRC, he hit the most difficult part of his short program (triple axel triple toe) but then fell on the triple flip(?) At the time, I remember being shocked. It was the first Olympics I remember watching, and I remember feeling terrible for him. 

I think you're correct.  I seem to recall he did so poorly in the short program (I think it was called the technical program back then) that he essentially had no chance at a gold medal even with a great long program.  I believe his long program was his rather iconic 'Casablanca' program where he wore a white dinner jacket and skated beautifully although it wasn't enough to catch the leaders.

Edited December 16 by Notabug

[ChicksDigScars]

On 12/9/2024 at 12:25 AM, honeywest said:

I don’t like Guignard and Fabbri, and you can’t make me.

Right? And I'm Italian American. I always watch Italian skaters after U.S. skaters. That said, I always thought Karolina was overscored, too. And then there was Scary Babs. But I always felt good thoughts for poor Maurizio. Who wouldn't?

As for the popularity of Chock and Bates, I love them. I want them to sail off into retirement with the one thing that they don't have, now. An individual OM. Preferably Gold. I'm sure the posters on those boards that don't like them have zero problem with Gilles and Poirier sticking around as long as they have, too, and see Madi and Evan as the ones standing in the way. Piper is actually six months older than Madi. So, if they think one should go away...

Sounds a little like the V/M fans who hated D/W so much. Without the secret children hiding in the basement. I guess since Madi and Evan are a couple and now married, secret children aren't such a juicy fantasy.

You mean P/C weren't already retired? Huh. 

It's funny. I like C/Pom because Anthony's build and that bubble booty remind me of his dad. Same physique, but with his Mom's face. They were my favorite Russian skaters. Still are. 

 

 

Edited December 17 by ChicksDigScars

[iMonrey]

On 12/16/2024 at 10:59 AM, Avaleigh said:

That goes double for Lloyd Eisler. 

Well that breaks my heart. 🙁

[anniebird]

On 12/16/2024 at 11:59 AM, Avaleigh said:

You're correct that I don't know these people. It's not like I've been to their houses or anything. That being said, I don't think that personal interactions and observations are meaningless, and my personal interactions and observations are how I formed my opinion. (Isn't that how most people form opinions?) If you have a positive interaction with someone, regardless if it's a meet and greet or something similar, are you not allowed to come away with a positive, indifferent, or negative opinion based on that lived experience?

I've been lucky enough to meet Kurt both as a child and as an adult, and I found him to be warm, kind, and, in my impression, sincere when exuding that warmth and kindness. Alissa, I have only met once, but have also observed on several occasions and there was nothing that gave me the impression that she wasn't a nice person. She seemed friendly to her fellow competitors, and seemed gracious even after having a bad skate. 

Also, it's not like this isn't a sport that doesn't have its fair number of jackholes. Based on my personal interactions, I found Silvia Fontana to be an unfriendly, rude person who thinks a lot of herself. Straight up. It wasn't at all surprising to me when hard facts came out to support my negative opinion of her. That goes double for Lloyd Eisler. 

Sure, maybe Kurt and Alissa aren't great people. I haven't seen or heard anything to suggest that, but anything is possible. I'd be shocked if this turned out to be the case, but you never know. That being said, I will continue to think well of them unless evidence comes out to change my opinion. 

 

I volunteered at the US Figure Skating Championships when they were here in Cleveland in 2009. Alyssa Czisny was by far the nicest of all of the skaters. Maybe it's all an act but based on my personal experience, she is a lovely person.

Edited December 19 by anniebird

[annzeepark914]

Klimova & Ponomarenko were my favorites from the 1984 O's to their gold medal at the '92 Olympics. I saw them live twice, thanks to Champions on Ice. It was so exciting, just watching them simply warming up on the ice, skating quietly round & round. On both occasions, their programs were riveting, competition-worthy. Gosh...the second time I also saw Michelle right after she'd won her first Nationals & before she went to Worlds. We must've been sitting where the judges would sit during competitions because we got to see her really acting out the Salome character, even with facial expressions (these were never seen on TV).